Two weeks had passed since the battle and the Council's decision.
The palace had come alive again, but not as it once had. A fresh rhythm pulsed through its walls, as if the very stone sensed the birth of a new order. Hooves echoed in the courtyards once more, spellmasters etched magical wards above the gates, and dark red ribbons fluttered in the grand courtyard-the colors of the approaching coronation.
The servants whispered about the new queen.
The tailors worked on ritual garments embroidered with black and gold.
The blood-rune smiths forged new seals for the Hall of Ascension.
And Elara... began waking earlier with every dawn.
That morning, too, a faint glow illuminated the royal suite.
Soft, filtered light slipped through the heavy curtains, and silence lingered around the can
